Mikel Arteta said Arsenal's appearance in the EFL Cup final had been years in the making, following a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the second leg of their semi-final tie.
Having triumphed 3-2 at Stamford Bridge in the first leg, Arsenal played out a cagey return fixture against the Blues on Tuesday, with neither team offering much in attack.
The teams combined for just 1.6 expected goals (xG), with Arsenal (0.9 xG) only having five shots (two on target) and Chelsea (0.7 xG) attempting 14 (two on target).
But the Gunners got the only goal on the counter-attack in the 97th minute, with Declan Rice's pass releasing Kai Havertz, who rounded Robert Sanchez and tapped home.
Arsenal have already kept 20 clean sheets in all competitions this season, only recording more in a single campaign under Arteta in 2023-24 (23).
They will now look to win the EFL Cup for the first time since 1993, with Manchester City or Newcastle United awaiting them at Wembley, and Arteta has had a long time to wait for a showpiece match, with his only previous major trophy win coming in the 2019-20 FA Cup.
Arteta said to ITV1: "Did I enjoy it? Very much – especially at the end. We knew it was going to be a real battle out there.
"That resilience, that clarity to understand what kind of game we had to play... we did that so well.
"There was a special atmosphere inside our stadium. It makes such a difference. We've been waiting a few years to get into this position, and we're certainly going to enjoy it."
Liam Rosenior set Chelsea up in a 3-5-2 system, keeping things tight before bringing Cole Palmer and Estevao off the bench on the hour mark.
Rice echoed Arteta's sentiments and credited Chelsea for the fight they put up, saying in his own post-match interview: "Credit to Chelsea. Since their new manager has come in, they've been really, really good.
"They changed their formation tonight and gave us problems. On another night, they could have scored, but credit where it is due, our defence was incredible.
"We have a group who really want it. Whatever team comes at us, we're ready for it. When you play a team like Chelsea, they throw so many things at you physically and mentally.
"You've got to have that resilience to stay strong and keep going.
"We deserve it. The last three or four years we've been at the top of the Premier League, competing and got really close, but haven't been good enough.
"That's why this season we have that extra desire and fire in our bellies to go one step further in every competition. There's a long way to go, but to be in a cup final with this club is amazing."